Tag Archives: Library

The Knights Park LRC will stay open for 24-hours a day during the exam period after students demanded longer opening times, the university confirmed on Tuesday.

The trial will run from April 23 to June 20 and according to Rachel Pownall, the LRC’s Senior Information Advisor, library staff will do head counts to decide whether the measure is poplar enough to adopt permanently.

“They’re actually bringing in contractors to run it, so this really is just a trial, and we will just have to see how it runs.” said Powell.

Nigel Buckley, an information assistant at the Knights Park LRC said that the trial was a result of consulting sessions with student representatives who said that students would like longer hours to work on their projects.

In order to meet their deadlines, Knights Park students have often had to use the computers and printers in Penrhyn Road after the Knights Park LRC closed.

Kali MacKenzie, 19, a photography student on exchange from the USA, said: “I can’t believe the libraries here close so early because the ones at home stay open really late.”

Staffing, security, and uncertainty about whether the night hours would actually be used by students had been the main obstacles to longer hours at the Knights Park LRC, Buckley said.

The Knights Park LRC staff were also concerned that due to the nature of studio based courses, night openings might encourage students to pull more all-nighters and could be detrimental to their health.

Buckley said: “We want to make sure that students are looking after themselves, so if students fall asleep we will have to wake them up and ask them to leave.”